Minutes of the September 1851 Semi-Annual General Conference

The Semi-annual Conference of the Church commenced at the Bowery in Great Salt Lake City, Sunday, September 7th, 1851, at 10 a.m., and continued from day to day till Wednesday the 10th inst., when it adjourned to the 6th of October next, to meet at the same place. President Brigham Young presided during the conference, which was composed of a vast assembly of the Saints from all the settlements. ¶

The various proceedings were marked with strong feelings, in preachings, teachings, testimonies, and in sustaining all the general authorities of the Church as they were last April, except Lewis Abbot, deceased, and Elisha H. Groves, removed to Iron County; and William Snow and Winslow Farr were appointed to fill their vacancies in the high council. ¶

Nathaniel H. Felt and John Banks were appointed presiding traveling bishops, to travel in the Church and among the branches, counseling the bishops, and seeing that they are faithful in their calling, in gathering tithing, and causing it to be forwarded to the general office; in keeping correct accounts; and they will settle with the several bishops from time to time, and report the same to the presiding bishop. ¶

Ezra T. Benson and Jedediah M. Grant were appointed agents to gather the poor, and President Orson Hyde's agency was continued. Elders Samuel W. Richards, Willard Snow, Abram O. Smoot, Dorr P. Curtiss, and Vincent Shurtliff were appointed missions to the British Isles, and Daniel Cairn to Germany. President John Young received a mission to Ohio to preach the Gospel and gather saints; and Elder John L. Dunyon to preach the Gospel in the States. ¶

The conference voted to observe the words of wisdom, and particularly to dispense with the use of tea, coffee, snuff, and tobacco. ¶

The conference also voted to commence anew with their tithings and consecrations, and that within thirty days each saint should make a consecration of one tenth of his property, and one tenth of his interest or income ever after, and that those who will not thus tithe themselves be cut off from the Church. ¶

[Source: Summary of proceedings from the Sixth General Epistle of the First Presidency, Deseret News, November 15, 1851, p. 2. No individual sermon transcripts survive from this conference.] ¶